Defending champion Alberto Contador and world champion Mark Cavendish attend the presentation of the route for the 2012 Giro d'Italia in Milan.

ROME — The 95th Giro d’Italia will start with three days’ worth of racing in Denmark, race organizers announced Sunday in Milan.

The race will cover 3,476km over 21 stages from May 5-27, finishing in Milan with a 31.5km individual time trial.

Defending champion Alberto Contador and world champion Mark Cavendish were in attendance.

Contador, who will be skipping his title defense, to concentrate on the Tour de France, said the 2012 Giro route seems less difficult than the 2011 edition and called the mountainous third week “most crucial.”

The race will start in Herning for the first two stages before moving to Hersens for the third. That will be followed by the first rest day as the riders and teams transfer to Italy.

The route will include three races against the clock, including the opening 8.7km individual time trial and a 32.2km team time trial on the fourth stage, the first one in Italy.

The longest stage of the race is the 11th, held over 243km from Assisi to Montecatini Terme, a stage that should favor one-day-classics specialists.